Game on! Boone returns to HIO with live blog

“It’s time again for my annual farewell column — and this time I mean it,” Mike Boone wrote when he retired from The Gazette last September.

“A year ago, I was leaving the Gazette’s city department to begin writing a sports column. Now, I’m bringing the curtain down on 38 years in print journalism.

“If profligate use of the first-person singular hasn’t stopped you reading this already, I should explain there’s an asterisk beside my ‘retirement.’ I will continue to write a live game blog and About Last Night wrap-ups for The Gazette’s Hockey Inside/Out website. I’ll still be tapping away with two fingers 82 times during the Canadiens’ season, plus exhibitions and, inshallah, playoffs.”

So much for the 82 times … but with the NHL lockout finally over Boone will be back in the Bell Centre press box Saturday night when the puck drops for the season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs live blogging the first of 48 regular-season games and possibly more, if the Canadiens make the playoffs.

Canadiens coach Michel Therrien announced at Saturday’s morning skate that Tomas Plekanec (ribs) and Carey Price (groin) were healthy and would be in the lineup tonight. The healthy scratches will be Mike Blunden, Brendan Gallagher and Yannick Weber. See the complete Habs roster by clicking here.

As we get ready for the puck to drop at 7 p.m., here are links to some other stories setting up the season opener:

All this talk about the Gally’s nickname issue has got me thinking, Hakan Loob from the eighties, Darren puppa from the nineties, last year this site had a blast with Alexander Semin, how about a list of names that just sort of make you laugh for a childish second.. Imagine all the Puppa jokes Darren must have went through.
Here is My list
1 Hakan Loob
2 Darren Puppa
3 Ron Tugnutt
4 Oggie Oglethorpe
5 Alexander Semin
Bonus
Olympic Classics Irina Slutskaya, and Canada’s own Karen Cockburn

If the Habs can be in the top 10 in PP and PK and top 10 in goals against they have a shot. If they end up in the top 10 in goals for they’ll do more than just turn a few heads. If they are not in the top 10 in any of those categories I’ll be revving up the Tank™ to finish the season off.

Habs should just leave Orr alone, he is a major liability when on the ice. Orr is also a heavyweight and ignoring him is probably the best thing to do unless he runs someone and then I guess Prust will step up.

Habs still need a heavy weight or a player that can go toe to toe with one. The Habs are grittier no doubt, but could still use some added size and muscle. As long as they don’t let themselves get manhandled and slink away from confrontation it will be a step in the right direction.

Some keys for the Habs to improve scoring this year
1) pp must produce much better than last year
2) Gio has to get his scoring touch back as he struggled prior to his injury..
3) Eller has had a few great games where it looked like he figured it out but than he reverted to his old self where he is very good on the attack till he is about 10 feet from the net where he seems to lack the scoring instinct..
4) more scoring from the 4th line and the team cannot have players that score a couple of goals and than go into 10 plus game scoring slumps that has been the trademark of this team the last few years…

Finally price has a mans mask,no lil horseys or cartoons on it.more respectable.love it!! Hope the groins ok carey,kick azz this year !! Hope PK doesnt get greedy thinking hes bobby orr number 2. He still has to prove he can be consistant.

Might have to go check out some close by neighborhood door to door till you find one with power. Tell them your doing a survey on tv reception and you need to watch CBC or RDS for clarity. Take a couple snacks.

Here’s a little gossip for anyone interested.
I was at the jewelry store this week picking up for my wife’s birthday.
The staff were talking amongst themselves when I overheard the woman tell the man behind the counter to go call the hockey player.
“Hi Mr Price, your ring is ready….yes…yes…$18,300. That’s right. OK thank you.”
And here I was putting $80 on my visa.

All I gotta say is Chrome add-in Ad Block and the Internet is cleaner and sweeter than ever. Haven’t had a pop-up, forced video or obnoxious flash banner roll-over interrupt my navigating since I added it to my browser.

Chrome has Ad Block and Ad Block Plus. Two different developers. Ad Block is has a better rating. Never tried it on Firefox. The difference with Ad Block is astounding. Sites are cleaner and with less clutter and they load faster too.

Boon Definition:
noun 1. something to be thankful for; blessing; benefit.
Thank you Boone for coming back! We all love and miss the live blogs and About Last nights

2. something that is asked; a favor sought.
Do us a favor Boone and unretire! We have serious abandonement issues what with players and owners ignoring our needs for months on end. Don’t play with our emotions!
You’re like that crazy ex-girlfriend that shows up after a few months for one amazing night then leaves with my TV and my Firefly Dvd collection…. one time she took the cat but I hated the little sh** so that wasn’t as bad but you get my point Boone. Don’t be like that!

I can’t believe how many people think they know only one side is being unreasonable in these contract negotiations, and that it is Subban’s.

Where is the evidence?

During the lockout, offers were made public so one could easily take sides based on your position vis-à-vis player salaries and owners’ profit. Here we have nothing, so why the rush to judgement?

Anyone blaming one of the sides for the current standoff is clearly going on their preconceived opinions about the parties since real numbers and term discussions have not really been public.

The only consistent tidbit I have heard so far is that the disagreement is over terms, not per year $. And even then, not sure how reliable that is.

The $6.5 M, I don’t buy it. Meehan is a tough agent, not an idiot, he would not be advising a client on second contract, however good, to hold out for $6.5M over 6 years. He would not be following PK’s parents there either.

Welcome on board, HabsSwag. Can’t watch the video on mobile. Will do as soon as I can get to desktop.

Hola Amigos! This is shaping up better than New Years Eve. Coffee,Cognac,Cohiba,and painkiller for Breakfast,moving into the Guinness and Single Malts shortly, and then some other stuff when Bob Cole starts.Let The Games Begin!!!

I can’t wait for the puck to drop! It is excruciatingly painful to be going through the PK situation right now as i strongly believe the time away from his boys will have an adverse effect for both him and our beloved Habs! Please Meehan/PK consider the age old adage, pigs get fat…

What team is going to sign PK to a 6.5 million dollar offer sheet?
Lose 2 first round picks among others.
Especially with the cap next season?
I love PK Subban. But is he going to be a FRANCHISE player?
181 games and 88 points.
paying Drew Doughty money is ridiculous.
Doughty has 348 games in the NHL, 189 points.
Pay him the same as a guy who just got 78 points, even Karlsson has more games in the nhl, with 156 points.
Tyler Meyers has more games and more points.
We have to be realistic. PK Subban is worth at most 4.75 over 6 years. He might stretch that to 5 if we get desperate.
But I think we have to realize, first with a healthy Markov, he is our number 2 defenceman. And second he isn’t an ELITE talent. He is not Lidstrom, Chelios, or Paul Coffey.
He is a potential allstar, but he is not currently a top 10 NHL defenseman and should not be paid as one.
Logs of delusion regarding him.
And remember we have Beaulieu coming up along with Tinordi.

I don’t think you will see any offer sheets for any RFA’s in the short term.
After a 4 month lockout the owners are probably more unified and would be reluctant to re-start a process that they recognize got them into the situation they were in pre-lockout.

______________________________________________________
“It’s just an opinion – I could be wrong”

OK we are off to Winnipeg to watch the games today with family or maybe with some sort of luck get a couple tickets to the Jets Sens game. Wish me luck, the roads are horrible, and this two hour drive may take 4.

See you all in a few hours……

They Call Me Shane
“They never asked to be Canadiens, they were Chosen.”
Shane Oliver
Twitter @Sholi2000http://www.Sholi2000.com
Custom Sports Figures

Firstly, welcome back Boone. I have always enjoyed your live blog and analysis, especially the humour you bring to it.

Secondly, I expect the atmosphere at the game tonight to be off the charts. As for the game itself, I expect it to be pretty sloppy. What do you expect though, really, after most not having played a meaningful game in some time.

I am keeping my expectations for Galchenyuk reasonable. I don’t expect him to be a huge factor tonight, but I do think he will pick up his first point, and it will be an assist.

BTW, very happy to have Mike Boone back on the game blog beat. That’s what drew me to this site in the first place.

If I ever missed a game, sure I could read a summary on TSN. But those summaries don’t capture the sheer jubilation of victory or the grinding bitterness and frustration of a loss. Those are the feelings that define a Hab fan’s season and those feelings are captured perfectly in Boone’s game blogs and “About Last Night” columns. You are a great writer and a true fan, Mr. Boone. Welcome back.

Actually not really, going to my good buddy’s show at the Seahorse in Halifax. He’s Bonzo in a top notch Led Zeppelin tribute band at 10PM. An Alice Cooper tribute closes the show at 12AM. Should be a good night of solid tunes.